Congressman Jared Polis at DNC: Jews Should Vote Democrat
Image by Getty Images
By Susie Davidson July 28, 2016
The centrally-located Philadelphia Convention Center, a DNC shuttle bus ride away from the Wells Fargo Center main convention stage, has hosted numerous daily caucuses and councils this week. On Tuesday and Thursday, Jewish Rountables featured speakers, discussion, and training forums.
At the Democratic National Committee’s Jewish Roundtable, Rep. Jared Polis urged attendees to increase the Jewish Democratic vote from 75 to 90 percent. “That means we win Florida, do well in other battleground states, and make sure that this country remains open not only to our people, but to all people,” he said.
Warning of “candidates who retweet quotes from Nazis,” Polis reminded the crowd that we are strangers in a strange land. “To have a major party candidate who tries to separate people based on faith, wants to build a great wall that, in many cases, would separate families, reminds us of unfortunate eras in our history that include the Berlin Wall and North and South Korea,” he said. “Trump’s temperament should be scary — not only for the Jewish people, but for all Americans who hold our Constitution dear, that all are created equal.”
Polis reminded the assembled of divisive figures like Father Charles Coughlin who fomented anti-Semitic hatred, and, in light of Trump, the fascism and authoritarianism that has been levied upon the Jews in different countries.
“But many Americans are frustrated,” he said, “And the solution is to elect Hillary Clinton, who will ensure a livable wage and a just society,” rather than a world led by “a New York, billionaire casino operator.”
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30
